Explosive.



JAMES F. OBRIEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EX?LOSIVE.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1913.

Application filed June 3, 1912. Serial No. 501,258.

To all whom z't may concern Be it known that 1, JAMES F. OBRIEN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Explosives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates tovariations and improvements in my explosives of the chlorate carbo-hydrate class for which I have filed various applications for United States Letters Patent important among which are my applications .entitled Explosives, filed Sept. 5, 1911, bearing S. N. 647,474, filed Sept. 20, 1911, bearing S. N. 650,873; filed Oct. 2, 1911, bearing S. N. 652,390; filed Oct. 21, 1911, bearing S. N. 656,529; filed January 11, 1912, bearing S. N. 670,645; filed Feb. 19, 1912, bearing S. N. 678,708. In these applications I have described and claimed in general an explosive consisting of a chlorate of an alkali metal, a carbohydrate and a silico-aluminous 11131361131. In my co pending application entitled Explosives, filed June 3rd 1912 bearings. N. 7 01,257 I have set forth the application of silica (silicon dioxid) to my formerly described explosives. And in this present application I wish to set forth the use of a carbonaceous or hydro-carbonaceous material in combination with a chlorate and a carbo-hydrate and the silicious material.

I use a preferably liquid carbonaceous or hydro-carbonaceous material in combination with the chlorate, carbo-hydrate and S111- cious material, primarily for producing a plastic packable explosive which may be formed into a cartridge or stick after the manner of dynamite.

The carbonaceous or hydro-carbonaceous material may be one of many different substances. In practice I may employ crude petroleum, or a divisional product thereof, using a small amount of free carbon or coal dust with the liquid.

The following formula broadly shows the composition of my explosive:

Chlorate 30 parts Garbo-hydrate. 10 Carbonaceous material 5 Silicious material or the silicious material may be more or less than the ,above given proportions.

, ergy is favorably comparable carbonaceous material generally is about five per cent. of the total weight of explosive. But the amount of silicious material may vary, depending upon the character and quality of powder desired.

A preferred formula is as follows:

Potassium chlorate 30 parts Starch 10 Coal dust 1 Crude petroleum 4 Silicious material 55 This formula in practice may be carried out as follows: The chlorate and starch (either in the form of pure starch or in the form of starch carried by cereal flour) are thoroughly mixed after having been pulverized or otherwise broken into small parts. The silicious material (say in the form of silica) and the chlorate and starch are thoroughly mixed together, and during this mixing operation the liquid carbonaceous material (crude oil) is slowly introduced and distributed over the dry materials and thoroughly mixed therewith. The resultant mass is just sufliciently plastic to form a cohesive body and to be easily packed into cartridges to form sticks. The coal dust is supplied during the mixing operation and is useful largely of explosions through the mass of explosive, making it necessary to use the blasting cap. The explosive as thus prepared needs no water proofing, being entirely water proof in itself.

I may substitute any of the non-volatile divisional products of crude oil, a distillate being extremely advantageous in my explosive composition. When using-distillate I use a small quantity of de-odorizing substances to overcome the distillate odor, amyl acetate being suitable. A few drops of this material in a large quantity of explosive will overcome the distillate odor.

This explosive herein described has all of the advantages before described by me in connection with my explosives above referred to. It is capable of manufacture by a cold frictionless, non-confined process; it

'will not deteriorate on exposure; and it is Its explosive enwith that of and it extremely safe to handle.

sixty to eighty per cent. dynamite, has the advantage of localizing its explosive effects in the manner so much desired in blasting and similar operations. This for propagating the flame BEST AVAiLABLE COPY "last named advantage is very important in the present described explosive as the work 1 of blasting and the like is precisely that 'for der but it enters into the explosive reaction ergy. These two ingredients that the complete 7 cost, than an explosive with- V have hereunto subscribed my name this24th the total explosive enare so cheap explosive 1s more ener-.

and contributes to getic, cost for put them.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. An explosive, comprising a chlorate of an alkali metal, a carbohydrate, hydro-carbonace'ous material and silica. i

- '2. An explosive,'comprisin% a chlorate of I: an alkali metal and a carboydrate in the 1 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

. chlorate,

approximate proportions three to one, hy- '25 dro-carbonaceous material and silica.

3. A11 explosive, comprising potassium chlorate, a carbo-hydrate, a liquid hydrocarbon, and silica.

4. An explosive, consisting of potassium 30 a carbo-hydrate, crude oil, coal dust, and silica. 5. An explosive, consisting of potassium chlorate 30 parts, carb0-hydrate 10 parts, silica up to approximately 55 parts, and 35 carbon and liquld hydro-carbontogether 5 parts. 7 f

6. An explosive, consistin of potassium chlorate, carbo-hydrate, a liquid carbonaceous material, and silica. 40

Witness that I claim the foregoing I day of May 1912.

. JAMES F. OBRIEN. Witnesses:

JEROME MCNABB, ELwooD'H. BARKELEW..

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Wash1ngton, D. O. M 

